There’s a lot to be said for 6:45 a.m. flights! There was no traffic getting to the airport in Denpasar, Bali, and since we were only 10 minutes away, it was easy. We were the first and the only passengers through security and immigration, and even with the time delay of paying an overstay fee of $60 (by four measly hours! ), we were through lickity split. So overall it went pretty smoothly. A brief three hour layover in KL occupied our time, and now we’re in Cambodia for about 50 days, and can relax before our long trip back to Europe.

We have only been to Cambodia once, exactly 5 years ago, just as Covid was starting to interrupt flights, and we stayed in the then very small city of Siem Reap and spent several days touring the Angkor Wat religious and historical site. That small town is NOT small anymore, and those dusty, rickety streets are now paved and quite busy! We’ve been downtown a few times since we’ve been here, and it’s nice walking around since they offer a host of different shops and markets. The weather so far has been amazingly nice, and even with a high TEMP, the humidity is much lower than we’ve been dealing with, and quite manageable. Even a staggering 94 on the temp reading is doable!

After 15 or so months in southeast Asia, we’ve seen a variety of different price ranges. No doubt, we have been spoiled by prices lower than in much of the world, but it seems there is a large expat community here from all over, and their/ our presence push up the prices. Cosmetics, western name brand items, and dairy products, like cheese and yogurt, are higher than we are used to, but we were shocked by alcohol prices! The two liquors we like, Malibu Rum and Amaretto, are in the $15 range, and we have seen them over $50 in some countries! We found a store that is the closest thing to a COSTCO we have seen outside the US, called Makro. They had everything from food and produce, to a host of canned, bagged, and various products, both eastern and western, and that place was dangerous for me!! SO many temptations.

Otherwise our housing here is one of the best we have stayed in! Some American friends we met in Vietnam surprised us (and themselves!) by buying a small hotel up here, and it was their invitation that brought us here. The place is as close to a “home-like” feel we have had in a long time, and Kat has fixed the place up beautifully. Our ground floor room opens to a large salt water pool and at night it is bathed by deep blue lighting. There is a full kitchen on the third floor plus a HUGE workout/ stretching area up there, so that is my first stop of the day before breakfast. I joined a local gym, about 7 minutes’ drive, and at $1.00 per workout and good equipment, how could I not?? Our scooter for the month is $100 USD, higher than some, cheaper than others, and traffic is very doable with right side driving again. But the true novelty is being here among friends. Our hosts, Heather and John, are friendly and engaging, and in just a few days we have met half a dozen new friends, all English speaking, and it’s always nice to feel that camaraderie.

Angkor Wat is the big draw here, it’s about 10 minutes away, and we will go back (again) to check it out. Otherwise, we will probably bus down to the capital Phnom Penh for a day or so, and visit some of the local attractions.

Since many people have inquired about our lodging, here is a link: https://www.airbnb.com/s/Saralya-Home–Krong-Siem-Reap–Cambodia/homes?refinement_paths%5B%5D=%2Fhomes&flexible_trip_lengths%5B%5D=one_week&monthly_start_date=2025-02-01&monthly_length=3&monthly_end_date=2025-05-01&price_filter_input_type=0&channel=EXPLORE&query=Saralya%20Home%2C%20Krong%20Siem%20Reap&place_id=ChIJWaJsYSIXEDERcPfWnoHoTHs&location_bb=QVYYaELPrLVBVg1bQs%2BrUw%3D%3D&date_picker_type=calendar&source=structured_search_input_header&search_type=autocomplete_click